Wednesday, May 15, 2002

School officials, defend this zero tolerance stance

I would like for someone in our school system to please address the citizens of Fayette County and defend their stance on the zero tolerance policy. I would like for them to address the specific issue of no one being able to use common sense or at least having to have some knowledge of intent before ruining a child's life (temporarily or forever) because no one has the intestinal fortitude to make a decision based on something other than zero tolerance.

We in Fayette County have joined other school systems in the country, who have had similar incidents happen, as the butt of well-deserved derision for not being able to identify a real problem but can make a mountain out of the proverbial mole hill.

Please respond to this request and see how hard it is to justify your actions. How hard would it have been for the police to secure the machete and call the student in and question him as to why it was in the truck. Apparently his explanation would have been plausible and sincere. The police then could have said that they would keep the machete and remind him of the rules and that would have been the end.

What has happened to reason in this world? What are you afraid of?

Dwight Wilson

Peachtree City

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